Working Today’s Network

Whether you are experimenting with social networking sites like Facebook or LinkedIn, or sprucing up your business’s Website, here are some quick tips to keep you on the path to networking success.

The power of networking is more important than ever in today’s fast-paced business environment. Plenty of people will tell you that networking is important and why, but few offer help with the basics of how to get started using networking to grow your profits and revenues. And as the solution provider business changes from one that focuses on products to one that focuses on services, how you present your company is more important than ever.

Start by looking at your Website. Are you driving leads or increasing your network traffic? Do your contacts on Facebook or LinkedIn know where to find out more about your company? A Website must be more than a placeholder. With more than 1 billion Websites already out there and more domains being registered daily, you need to use the latest tools to set yourself apart from the crowd. If creating such a site is not your forte, there are many marketing service companies that can assist you in driving customers to your site. A great Website does very little for your bottom line if no one knows where to find you. Harness the power of keywords and Web analytics into your Web presence to help you make the top of search engine listings.

Next, remember that the power of people is still No. 1.  I am often amazed at how often I may meet someone on Twitter or Facebook and they want my contact number to reach out in person. Web cameras and easy-to-use video software have made connecting anywhere in the world easy and affordable. You can add the personal touch by allowing a face and voice to be added to your online personality. Do not underestimate the power of a “how to” or demonstration video with your audience.  

Facebook and LinkedIn are still key tools you can use in reaching thousands of like-minded business people. A common mistake many make is using Facebook to stay in touch with family and friends only. Facebook offers pages for individuals as well as for their businesses. If you want to expand your presence on Facebook for business, you have two options. Option 1 allows you to create your own business page and invite people to join you there. You can restrict your personal page to friends and family. Option 2 is to join groups and actively participate in the conversations with other members. This allows you to be viewed as a thought leader in your area.

Are you making the most of LinkedIn? Lots of people connect and build LinkedIn networks, but very few use them. When was the last time you shared one contact’s information with another? Lots of discussion boards on LinkedIn are stuffed with personal sales messages, but very few members use the service proactively. Consider proactive ways to unite and communicate with your network. You may opt for a newsletter, a forum, a blog or even a weekly posting of what’s new in your network, but do not expect any business activity to take place unless you actively initiate it.

Don’t have time to network? Still not attending your local BNI (Business Networkers International) or Chamber meetings? Choosing to not actively network today on any of the sites above or in your local community is the same as placing your name in the phone book and hoping someone chooses you. People will always choose to do business with people they know versus companies they don’t.

Getting Your Customers to Say “WOW” Everytime.

Infomercial pitchmen have proved that it doesn’t take superior products to make a sale. Oftentimes, the success of a business is dependent upon its marketing and message. And the trick is making that message memorable.

Ever wish you had one of those million-dollar ideas? Some commercials and marketing campaigns may drive you crazy (think “ShamWow! You’ll be saying WOW! every time”), but that’s the point. Millions of dollars are made every day by companies that have mediocre products but tremendous marketing.

While I’d never suggest that you try to become the next Billy Mays (the pitchman who told us about OxyClean) or Ron Popeil (remember the Pocket Fisherman?), these pitchmen are examples of framing a good, easily understood and compelling message that sticks in customers’ heads. Solution providers often have great products and technologies, but poor messaging and marketing.

Many successful businesses may not have a clearly differentiated product, but they have great marketing, and the message—not the product—is what drives in their customers. It goes without saying that you must have a good product first, but when all features are equal, it comes down to how you package the product that drives customers to you versus your competition. Combine your message with current events, and the result can be very successful.

Here are some examples of combining marketing with hot topics that may have nothing to do with the products themselves.

Pink Slip Programs
Virgin Mobile announced a Pink Slip Protection plan that waives as many as three months of wireless phone charges if a customer is laid off. While wireless plans are all comparable, Virgin stands apart by offering peace of mind to those who fear losing their phones while looking for their next job. You also need a car to get to those job interviews, so Ford, General Motors and Hyundai earlier this year launched payment protection plans, either allowing out-of-work customers to return their cars or have their payments covered. Ford, for instance, will cover car payments up to $700 a month for a full year for drivers who lose their jobs.

Celebrity Aliens Among Us
Who cannot repeat a Hulu ad they have seen in the last three months? Sure, television is bad for you. Hulu celebrity spokespeople (er, actually aliens from outer space) agree with you. But they encourage you to watch more (it will soften your brain) and to watch wherever you are. There is no direct mention of you leaving your television or DVR, but you understand that you are no longer tied to one location. And what may seem “out of this world” actually is the tag line “because we are aliens.” Hulu never shares they are a joint venture of Fox and NBC, they also do not highlight their products. They just market the spokesperson and the alien food. (Besides, we’ve all thought that Alex Baldwin is from another planet; this is just confirmation.)

Girls Go Dot.com
Everyone can think of five or more companies that offer domain and hosting services. But say GoDaddy and everyone thinks of a milder version of Girls Gone Wild. Sure, the girls and commercials have nothing to do with hosting or domain services. In fact, you never learn who offers the lowest domain services or if the hosting is comparable or even superior. You just know GoDaddy girls are those girls, and the name sticks with you.

While these are examples of marketing initiatives by major corporations, your business can employ similar techniques. If you are offering services to assist companies offer more for less, consider your marketing messages as they tie to saving money in a down economy. In the age of YouTube and Twitter, there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from donning a microphone, stepping in front of the camera and detailing your plans for world domination by using your new-fangled switch or notebook. The trick is to get people to think about your brand and come to you first for the answers. Try it and, just like Vince from ShamWow!, you’ll be saying “Wow” every time.

Customer focus breeds success.

When it comes to advertising, where do you start? Today’s options are more diverse than ever and bring a larger audience to your doorstep than yesterday’s newspapers, magazines or local radio stations.  

Advertising has taken a turn from the “buy me on sale now” to a more personal approach of “I understand your needs and my business can assist you with your problem.” The Internet has allowed companies big and small to do far more with much less in the way of resources. No longer do businesses need to hire a large agency and pay tens of thousands of dollars to reach their audience. At the same time, the days of handmade- or in-house-produced fliers and handouts have gone away.  

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of the “New Rules of Marketing and PR” and the hit new book “World Wide Rave.” In this latest book David brings examples of how businesses can leverage the power of the Internet and includes several tips for creating your own “World Wide Rave.”  

As it relates to Channel Insider readers, I asked Scott when it comes to getting the right message out to the right audience, what is the single most important challenge to small businesses? Scott shared the following:
 
“The single biggest challenge for small business is understanding what I call ‘buyer persona.’ A buyer persona represents a distinct group of potential customers, an archetypal person whom you want your marketing to reach. Targeting your work to buyer persona prevents you from sitting on your butt in your comfortable office just making stuff up about your products, which is the cause of most ineffective marketing.”
 
“Incidentally, my use of the word ‘buyer’ applies to any organization’s target customers,” Scott continues. “A politician’s buyer personas include voters, supporters and contributors; universities’ buyer personas include prospective students and their parents; a tennis club’s buyer personas include potential members; and nonprofits’ buyer personas include corporate and individual donors. Go ahead and substitute however you refer to your potential customers in the phrase ‘buyer persona,’ but do keep your focus on the concept. It is critical for success online.”
 
“By truly understanding the market problems that your products and services solve for your buyer personas, you transform your marketing from mere product-specific, ego-centric gobbledygook that only you understand and care about into valuable information people are eager to consume and that they use to make the choice to do business with your organization,” Scott concluded.

Scott’s words couldn’t be truer. By understanding your target market and your target customer, you can focus your energy and effort into delivering products and services that they value most. By focusing in this manner, you will also differentiate yourself in the marketplace from the competition. In a down economy where everyone is competing for precious few dollars, the last thing you want to be known as is a “me too” organization.

Once you figure out who your customer is and what they need most from you, you can then hone your messaging and develop greater marketplace awareness. From there, success will follow.

Speaking of success, Channel Insider wants to know what’s making your business successful. We’re seeking your Success Stories for our new series of first-person reports from the front lines of the IT marketplace on the technologies, services and engagements that are unique, innovative and, most of all, making your company successful.

Better Marketing Makes Better Sales

Which is more important, sales or marketing? Neither and both. Successful companies are those that master the fine art of melding sales and marketing into a seamless presentation that demonstrates value.

It’s a question that has caused debate around water coolers and in boardrooms: Which is more important, sales or marketing? Sales will tell you that they are the hunters and the farmers. Marketing will tell you that sales will have nothing to do if they do not create the demand.

In the environment of yesterday this was a discussion worth debating. Today’s new financial and marketing environments have changed all the rules. Marketing and sales are now intertwined, with the best-performing employees doing both.

In other words, the most successful solution providers are the ones creating their own demand and channeling their revenue, and it typically requires sales not selling a product but an idea. That’s a hybrid of sales and marketing that people typically call “consultative selling.”

A quick review of this checklist can let you know if you are ready to increase your profits and sales through effective marketing sales.

1. Is your company focused on your customers or on your products?
Successful companies have changed their focus from products to focusing on the business needs of their customers. The services your firm offers—the solutions you bring to the table—are more important than product features.

2. Do you know who your target customer is?
It is not enough to have two customers who make up 80 percent of your revenue and hope that another customer will come along that is just like them. Understand what makes your business successful with these customers.

3. Is your company’s brand well positioned and represented?
Does every person in your company understand your brand position and can they sell your company in six minutes or less? Everything about how the phones are answered to your letterhead to the sales presentation is a reflection of your company and influences how your customers perceive you.

4. What do you know about your competition?
Do not think that if you ignore your competition they will ignore you. The most profitable companies can always answer the question, “What differentiates company X from Y?” Don’t just focus on your local competitors, but understand your regional and national competitors as well.

5. Do you make use of the technology you sell?
It’s one thing to understand how technology and solutions work, but it’s another thing to be able to show your customers that your company makes use of the same technology efficiencies in your own business environment and operations.

6. Is your advertising still focused on local newspapers and Yellow Pages ads?
Your customers are less likely to understand your message when it is limited to small ads or placements where no one reads them. Encourage your employees to talk about new business solutions and products on Facebook and in blogs. Ask your customers to share their input on your company-sponsored sites as well. The most effective advertising is carried out over the Internet. But beware: not all new media is free (despite what people want to believe). You should invest in properties that demonstrate a solid return for your marketing investment, as well as get your people to engage in free social media.

7. Do you network? Does your team?
Networking is not just for salespeople over lunch. Networking is how business leads are uncovered, customer needs are identified and new relationships are introduced. Every employee on your team—including you—should be focused on building and nurturing your networks.

Taking a renewed look at your marketing and sales efforts to look for efficiencies and improvement can increase your competition positioning, brand awareness, revenue and profits. Focusing on basic marketing and applying sales strategies can be the easiest place to start.

Is this much ado about nothing? or are we just waking up to what always was?

Facebook has incurred the wrath of national media outlets and users with their new terms of service. I have to say that I was a bit surprised at their wording and what appeared to be a rather large swing from their old terms of use. Then I wondered how many times do I hit “accept” and not read the terms of use?

On MSN (where I have my personal email) it is clearly stated:
However, with respect to content you post or provide you grant to those members of the public to whom you have granted access (for content posted on shared and private areas of the service) or to the public (for content posted on public areas of the service) free, unlimited, worldwide, nonexclusive and perpetual permission to:

*use, modify, copy, distribute and display the content in connection with the service and other Microsoft products and services;
*publish your name in connection with the content; and
*grant these rights to others.

And on LinkedIn where many of my contacts and business associates post their resumes and professional writings each user agrees to:

Each User grants LinkedIn a license to use the content supplied by each such User for the purposes of disclosure on the LinkedIn website.

This license includes, inter alia, the right for LinkedIn to reproduce, represent, adapt, translate, digitize, use for advertising purposes, whether commercial or non-commercial, to sublicense or to transfer the content concerning each User (including information, pictures, descriptions, search criteria, etc.) over all or part of the Services and/or in any mailings of LinkedIn and in general through any electronic communication media (email, SMS, MMS, WAP, Internet, CD Rom or DVD).

How about YouTube? Did you really think no one was looking? If you post there you accepted the following:
For clarity, you retain all of your ownership rights in your User Submissions. However, by submitting User Submissions to YouTube, you hereby grant YouTube a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the User Submissions in connection with the YouTube Website and YouTube’s (and its successors’ and affiliates’) business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the YouTube Website (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels. You also hereby grant each user of the YouTube Website a non-exclusive license to access your User Submissions through the Website, and to use, reproduce, distribute, display and perform such User Submissions as permitted through the functionality of the Website and under these Terms of Service. The above licenses granted by you in User Videos terminate within a commercially reasonable time after you remove or delete your User Videos from the YouTube Website. You understand and agree, however, that YouTube may retain, but not display, distribute, or perform, server copies of User Submissions that have been removed or deleted. The above licenses granted by you in User Comments are perpetual and irrevocable.

User be advised. There is NO place on the web where your posted content is only yours. I have often warned my children and others that if you would not want a picture on the front page of a newspaper, then do not post it. ANYONE can right click and save a picture unless you have it protected. On many of these share sites there are individuals far worse than Big Brother (whoever he/she may be LinkedIn, MSN, MySpace, Facebook) that content on the web can last a lifetime. A page can be saved and recalled even if you try to delete it. That is the double edged sword that is content and information sharing.

So what can you do to protect your self- generated and individually owned content? You can begin by reading the terms of service and if you do not agree to all the terms then do not click accept. You can stop posting original content on a site instead post a link that drives people to your site. You can protect your material with taking the necessary precautions (trademarks, copy writes, etc.)

Before I would take down any content I would answer these questions:
1. Who would want this? Really do you think Facebook wants pictures of your son’s third birthday?
2. How could this be misused?
3. What is the risk versus the benefit of sharing this information?

I also recommend that you understand, all terms of service state they may be updated without notice. Further if you provide any information that is false (date of birth, name, etc.) or share your password with anyone you are in violation of the terms. And you ask “how would they know?” exactly. What do you think Facebook was thinking when they changed their terms?

New Stimulus Plans May Help VARs

Desperate to revive the sagging economy, House Democrats are putting together a massive new stimulus package that includes billions of dollars in new IT projects.

The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives unveiled a new stimulus package Thursday that included what could be the news technology manufacturers have been waiting to hear.

More than $650 million dollars will be needed to assist in the transition to digital television broadcasts. The funds would be used to assist in paying for a coupon program administered by the Department of Commerce to help consumers offset the cost of purchasing digital-TV converter boxes. At this time, the government has a waiting list of viewers who want the $40 coupons.

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/New-Stimulus-Plan-May-Help-VARs/

Make Time for Your Business

Time is a fleeting and elusive resource. We all need time to contemplate and execute, but always find that there’s never enough for the things we need. Controlling time requires a plan, and here are four steps to better time management.
Call it what you want: A lack of time, not enough time, time always running out. From what I hear from solution providers, time is their second biggest concern right behind money (which is logical since time is money).

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/Making-Time-for-Your-Business/

Web 2.0 Marketing Is Simplier Than You Think

Don’t let fear rule your business investments. A recession is the worst time to pull back on marketing. But promoting your business and services doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Leveraging Web 2.0 applications can propel your business on the cheap.

Experts say that a down economy is the best time to invest in marketing. At the same time you may be looking at your budget and wondering where the additional money will come to increase your marketing spend and what investments will drive the most revenue and profit for your company. Good news, all you need to know is a little about Web 2.0.

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/Web-20-Marketing-is-Simpler-than-You-Think/

Invest in the 3 R’s of Marketing

Businesses often mistakenly cut marketing during a recession thinking they’ll save money. Investing in marketing, though, is one of the best ways of surviving during a bad economy.

You can call our current economic state a downturn, recession or depression, but either way it means that money is tight and it takes more effort to drive customers to your doors. Now is the time when most businesses are reviewing expenses and looking to cut anywhere they can.

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/Invest-in-the-3-Rs-of-Marketing/

Become More Valuable to Vendors

Vendors want solution providers that are going to accelerate their sales. A little strategic thinking, alignment with vendor expectations and good planning will put your solution provider business in good standing with your vendors.

IT vendors are announcing layoffs and restructurings, there is no better time to be a solution provider– that is if you are ready to be one of the 20 percent driving the 80 percent of sales for a manufacturer.

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/Become-More-Valuable-to-Vendors/